William Clark Green is a member of the so-called “Texas Country Movement”, a movement that opposes the corporate Nashville country music scene. Other members of this movement include notable artists such as Adam Hood, Aaron Watson, Wade Bowen, the Eli Young Band, Granger Smith, and the Randy Rogers Band. “Texas Country” has a very different feel from what is commonly associated with country music. Antagonistic to the pop and hip hop influences of “modern country”, “Texas Country” is a male dominated subset of the country genre characterized by raspy vocals, homegrown lyrics, and the staple heavy dose of steel or acoustic guitar. These artists, whose main following comes from Texas and its surrounding states, have recently started to gain more notoriety on the national level illustrated most recently by Aaron Watson’s critically acclaimed album, The Underdog.
William Clark Green delivers with his fourth studio album, Ringling Road. In addition to some eye-popping album artwork, Clark has produced a complete record highlighted by tracks that simply don’t hold back. Clark gets straight to the point on each of his tracks, and the album is better for it. This is made apparent right away in “Sticks and Stones” where Clark sings, ‘I ain’t gonna listen to ‘em bitch and moan, ain’t nothing but sticks and stones’. Referring to the slights he received as a developing artist in small town Texas, Clark stresses not to give in to the voices and to follow your dreams. The album takes a rather disturbing turn with the title track, “Ringling Road”, a story detailing a traveling freak show. Complete with questionable lyrics and a hypnotizing banjo, “Ringling Road” is a track that fits right in with American Horror Story’s most recent television season. The album only improves from here with the fantastic tracks, “Sympathy” and “Old Fashioned”. Clark closes out his latest album with a tearjerker in “Still Think About You” that doesn’t hold back in painting an unexpected, unique picture of a broken relationship.
Clark’s album is a must listen for any country fan, especially those who have yet to expose themselves to the rebellious “Texas Country”.
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